Friday, May 20, 2011

When you are cold, why do you get the shivers?

The hypothalamus, located right above the brain stem, serves to link the nervous system and endocrine system. The hypothalamus helps control heat, thirst, hunger, sleep, and many other functions. When you are cold, the hypothalamus sends messages to your muscles to warm you up. In order to generate heat, the cells in your body begin to move rapidly. The shivering you experience when you are cold is a natural reflex that causes the hypothalamus to send messages to the body to help you warm yourself.